It was appropriate that last night's new season of Saturday Night Live premiered right smack in the middle of the presidential election season. Because just like in politics, where sure, you have a Hillary Clinton or Condoleezza Rice, it's really all about the guys. President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to be exact. Yes, there were a few women sprinkled throughout the show, but for the most part it was a boys-only club filled with juvenile jokes and lots of giggling. (Okay, maybe that last part is more a girl thing.)
Season 38 kicked off with a cold open featuring series newbie Jay Pharoah making his SNL debut as the P.O.T.U.S. Fans of the show know Pharoah for his near-perfect impersonations of Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Jay-Z. As much as I have loved Fred Armisen's portrayal of Obama these past years, I was anxious to see how one of my cast crushes would do. (You know what they say about a guy who can make a girl laugh? Well his dead-on Denzel has me in tears. Every time.) Armisen made the introduction — and audience members laugh — by saying, "It is my distinct honor to introduce the President of the United States — wouldn't want his job, right?" Pharoah's first attempt doing the head of state on live TV was a good one. And if you closed your eyes you would have sworn it was Obama — even though the young comedian seemed nervous. After all they are big shoes to fill, or in this case, big ears. What? Armisen can do it, but I can't?
After the credits ran (giving us a look at this season's newest faces) it was first-time host Seth MacFarlane's opening monologue. Typically one to be behind the cameras, MacFarlane is the man — or rather, the voice — responsible for Family Guy, American Dad!, and the box office blockbuster, Ted. In addition to voices, he also acts, animates, produces, directs, writes, and sings. Translation: this isn't his first time wearing a lot of hats. (Which is good because he was in almost every skit.) MacFarlane chose to go with this strength, opening the show with the help of some of his famous friends — also known as "the voices in his head." In addition to voicing the characters he has become most known for (we're talking about you Stewie and Brian), he also treated us to George Takei from Star Trek, Back to the Future's Marty McFly, and Kermit the Frog.
MacFarlane's voices and versatility would continue throughout the show, and would help contribute to many of the night's funniest skits. His skills came in handy when he played a teacher of a puppet class — because when Elmo's not available — who better to teach it than someone who can do multiple voices? He continued to make us LOL as a stuttering sergeant and a laid-back hat salesman whose vocabulary included words like "bro turkey" and "righteous." Though he was quickly overshadowed in the Lids skit when Korean rap sensation Psy made an appearance — "Gangnam Style." My favorite "character" of his by far was his impression of Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte on Weekend Update. Check out the hilarity here:
In preparation for what is sure to dominate SNL over the next few months, the show went heavy on the latest topics of the Presidential race. Nobody is a safe target, but the show's liberal leanings are obvious. You may not be in love with Obama anymore, as Pharoah admits in the opener, but opponent Romney (played by Jason Sudeikis, at least until January) is so out of touch that he's actually our current Prez's biggest weapon for re-election. "Obama" called him his "Christmas Miracle." Sudeikis takes aim at Romney's ability to make everyone uncomfortable, and even newly-announced VP running Paul Ryan — now played by Taran Killam — is taken to task for stretching the truth of his athletic achievements (so he may be bad with math, but he'll still balance our budget!). In a further tease to the Republican faithful, a pre-taped "promo" touted a new one-man stage show featuring GOP convention oddball Clint Eastwood (Bill Hader) having random conversations with his now famous empty chair. Check out the first of what was many of last night's political parodies:
Reminiscent of his MTV Video Music Awards performance from last month, when Odd Future singer Frank Ocean wowed audiences (subsequently upping the sales for his debut album, Channel Orange, by 49 percent), he took to the stage for a moving musical performance of "Thinking About You." And despite being dressed in his all too familiar trademark bandana and dark threads, there was something different about his second song, "Pyramids." In case you missed it, check out what he did — and who joined him onstage.
Since unfortunately you can't have a show with 100 percent winners, tonight had a few lame skits to pass the time. Armisen as a crass over-50 sex expert — think Dr. Phil meets Dr. Ruth — was far from high-brow comedy, and took a cue from Romney; making us all a bit uncomfortable. Kenan Thompson can do a good Steve Harvey, but the only thing amusing about this slow sketch was seeing MacFarlane dressed in one of Harvey's over-the-top blue suits complete with cheesy mustache. The host with the most followed it up with a blind date skit that reminded me of the movie Clueless: "My friend Kelly was like he's so great, and I was like, are you sure? And she was like, yeah." At first I was all like, this is funny, but then I was like, no, not anymore. And speaking of not very memorable, I'm like pretty sure no one will remember the final skit that had MacFarlane playing one of two Amish dudes selling wooden spoons on this new thing called "the Internet." Though if you look up the website they were promoting (woodenspoonwarehouse.com) it redirects you to the SNL site.
So, what did you think of the Saturday Night Live season premiere? Were you a fan of the boys club comedy, or are you looking forward to seeing more of the new girls? Excited for next week's show featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and musical act Mumford &amp; Sons? Let us know by sounding off in the comments section below.
[Image Credit: NBC]
More:
'Saturday Night Live' Premiere: Ushering In a New Era?
Great Job, 'SNL'! Jay Pharoah Set to Take Over Obama Impression This Fall
Emmys Idle Threats: Give Bill Hader an Emmy or I'll Sic DJ Baby Bok Choy On You

This review previously appeared as part of Hollywood.com's coverage of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
After adorable but limiting roles in The Office I Love You Man Our Idiot Brother and her biggest part to date Parks and Recreation actress Rashida Jones nabs her meatiest part to date courtesy of her own script.
Celeste and Jesse Forever the brainchild of Jones and writing partner Will McCormick is a romantic comedy that feels perfectly comfortable treading into honest poignant relationship moments. It's obvious Jones co-wrote the movie every beat tailor made to draw out her best qualities. Celeste (Jones) and Jesse (Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg) are longtime friends a perfect pair who eventually tie the knot and live happily for six years… until their relationship ends in divorce. But even with their impending separation the two can't help but remain best buds. Their friends are critical of the continued companionship but the pair work together to get back in the dating game. The journey forces the former couple to confront the truths and regrets both have harbored since first meeting.
Celeste and Jesse skips the big gags and sappy confessions in favor of grounding its characters in honest (and often uneasy) scenarios. Jones' and McCormick's script captures the kookiness ingrained in long lasting friendships from inside jokes (Celeste and Jesse routinely play a game where they perform sex acts with random objects) to the strange customs of Los Angelenos. Quirk isn't easy to pull off but director Lee Toland Krieger keeps the action intimate and restrained allowing Jones Samberg and the handful of exceptional supporting actors (including Erik Christian Olsen Ari Graynor Elijah Wood and Emma Roberts) to riff and joke without ever going broad.
If the movie was simply a string of hushed comedic sketches Celeste and Jesse Forever would fall into the familiar territory of meandering mumblecore but Jones and Samberg elevate the material with a surprising knack for the dramatic. In one of the film's more emotionally frank moments Jesse delvers a confession that solidifies the couple's dissipating relationship. The normally-goofball Samberg reels it back allowing quiet expression take the stage. The film may not land every intentionally heavy moment with perfect grace but watching two actors play against their established personas gives Celeste and Jesse extra (and exciting) punch.
Celeste and Jesse Forever is evidence Rashida Jones can deliver both behind and in front of the screen. In the right hands her talents can be mined to create a performance both daring and sweet. Celeste and Jesse suggests those "right hands" may be her own.
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S3E3: Oh how the mighty have fallen. Somehow one of the best shows on television has suddenly become frustratingly mediocre. Where is the Community we fell in love with? Our characters’ absurdities can’t possibly have run their courses already. There should still be that element so unexpected and ridiculous we can’t help but laugh and the dialogue so tightly crafted that we have to wrack our brains to make sure we understand the references. It’s those elements that turn off many would-be viewers, and this season is admittedly an easier watch, but making things easier also seems to make things less fun. And what’s the point of television if it’s not fun in some way, shape or form?
“She was a dame. Legs that went all the way to the bottom of her torso. The type of arms that had elbows.” –Chang
The first element that really killed this episode for me was Chang’s storyline. By all rights this should be comedy gold. Chang, desperate for some real police action, starts up his own noir detective narrative in his head while he starts to investigate absolutely nothing. He literally has no mystery, he just sees random objects or people and asks the audience “am I crazy?” before connecting the item at hand to absolutely nothing. By the end, his haplessness causes him to accidentally burn down his secret closet apartment behind the Greendale coffee bar. Munez wants to get the police involved when he discovers the remnants of Chang’s little lair, but the Dean needs to cover the decision to secretly let Chang live there so he buys into Chang’s baseless conspiracy theory and Munez quits. Boom, Chang is head of security.
So what’s the issue here? The problem is that we love crazy Chang. He’s the unsung hero of Community. He’s someone you can’t wait to see do something inconceivable. This storyline was neither appropriately crazy for Ken Jeong’s talents nor appropriately indebted to pop culture or even literary references (Raymond Chandler anyone?) to make it worthwhile. It was easy and it didn’t make sense for the fantastic Chang character we’ve come to know and expect. “I need answers like a fish needs a bicycle…a lot?” Really? Since when did Chang become Kenneth from 30 Rock?
“You guys have weird reactions to stuff.” –Professor Kane
First, I’ve seen the error of my apparently aging ears: I know now that Michael K. Williams is playing Professor Kane, not King. That being said, I still think Williams is being wasted as some sort of accessory other than as a truly interesting character, which is a damn dirty shame. With that taken care of, we can get back to business. Professor Kane makes everyone pick lab partners for the year and our study group accidentally pairs up with strangers – oh the horror. New friends can be scary. They beg Kane to let them switch to each other after a self-indulgent rundown of all the show’s most interesting and grand adventures, which was pretty obnoxious on the writers’ parts. He agrees and they all pick each other, except they're an odd-numbered group so Pierce is stuck with some random guy named Todd, which is, like, just the worst.
It’s not long before Britta gets tired of Shirley’s baby pictures, Shirley tires of Britta’s rants about “baby meth,” Annie gets tired of Jeff letting her do all the work, and Troy and Abed realize they’re spending way too much time together. Everyone wants to trade, so they call a meeting to fix the Todd Problem -- which is really the study group problem and has nothing to do with poor Todd -- and they get new partners. Only there’s an issue; Abed had everyone rank their partner preferences from 1-8 and he used a secret algorithm to decide who’s partnered with who. Troy is obsessed with getting Britta and he does, but they quickly find it was determined based on popularity and they find out who was first in popularity and who was last. Shirley gets the bottom spot, though Jeff seems more hurt by his 5th place than Shirley is by being last. Before long, the conversation descends into madness and Jeff tries to see the ballots so he can see who put him lower on their list. Britta acts wisely for once and burns the list, only she burns it on Todd’s turtle. Todd flips out and lays out his misfortunes – dead father, diabetes – and his admirable qualities – he says really wonderful things about his wife and kids – while delivering a speech about how screwed up the group is like he’s Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Womp, womp.
“If loving worms is stupid, I don’t want to be smart.” –Britta
“It is and you can’t.” –Annie
It’s really strange when the class buzzkill – Britta – is the only one making me giggle. And she’s only making me mildly giggle. With all this fighting, they not only waste all their time and have nothing to show Professor Kane in class, but they make Todd, the Iraq war vet, cry. Professor Kane, thoroughly annoyed with the study group, says they’ll all be partners and share the same grade, following it up with the fact that they all failed their first assignment.
They get to work in class, but immediately go back to bashing the sweet, unbashable Todd. Kane said they were the mean clique and it really seems like they are here. Granted, I’m sure it’s meant to be a commentary on the social norm that finds many people bonding more easily when they’re bashing random people outside of their insular groups. The problem is that this is a sitcom, which means this whole thing should be funny and it simply wasn’t.
Hell, the tag in which Britta reads scantron sheets as cartoons penises when there is absolutely no evidence of cartoon penises was the funniest part of the episode – and it wasn’t even that funny.
I get that they’re setting up the season and that they may be toning it down a bit for the network in light of lower ratings, but here’s the thing: they sure as hell aren’t going to gain more viewers by becoming vanilla. And set up is all well and good, but it should be fun to get through that set up – it shouldn’t feel like homework. I truly hope things pick up on this show. The last thing we need is for the series to give execs a reason to lose their faith in the program.

S9E1: I don't think anyone could have guessed that, after eight seasons and 177 episodes, Two and a Half Men would be conjuring up controversy, anticipation or excitement. Charlie Sheen's abrupt departure (and subsequent breakdown) was a pop culture nuclear bomb that would have slowly dissipated...had it not been for the high profile replacement search.
Show creator Chuck Lorre is a smart man. He kept the fire burning through his casting quest until he landed on an equally shocking, crazed and hilarious choice: Ashton Kutcher, the man with a zillion Twitter followers.
So after months of reboot momentum, tonight's the night. The big premiere. So the big question is: can Ashton Kutcher fill Charlie Harper's shoes? As a scholar of sitcom science, I'm going to tune in each week to chronicle Ashton's return to primetime, quantifying the stand-out moments in the show with a calculated points and ranking system. Here's the breakdown:
One Charlie Sheen Head (1 - 10 Points): Ashton, you were in this episode.
Two Charlie Sheen Heads (11 - 20 Points): Ashton, you landed a few jokes, but we can't stop thinking about good ol' Charlie.
Three Charlie Sheen Heads (21 - 30 Points): Ashton, you earned tonight's laugh track. Solid.
Four Charlie Sheen Heads (31 - 40 Points): Ashton, we're impressed. You've surpassed Sheen-level kookiness.
Five Charlie Sheen Heads (41 - 50 Points): Ashton, you're scaring us with classic levels of comedy. Charlie who?
That's that, now on with the first round of the Ashton Kutcher Two and a Half Men scorecard!
"Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt"
1. Walden appears in the window. Alan throws Charlie's ashes in the air.
Points: 7
At the beginning of the episode, Alan finds himself in a predicament: Charlie's dead and no one's around to pay for his house. Cut to a potential buyers montage— featuring random John Stamos and Dharma &amp; Greg (Jenna Elfman &amp; Thomas Gibson) cameos—which would have been an easy place to slip in Ashton's goofy Walden Schmidt intro. But no, we soon learn Walden's a thousand times creepier than that, appearing at Alan at the backdoor in the middle of the night, soaked after attempting suicide. Ashton plays his biggest card up front: the deer-in-headlights stare. But it's no Kelso—more like Robert De Niro in Cape Fear. Creepy...but funny.
2. "I'm Sorry I Made You Spill Him"
Points: 6
I was surprised to find that Walden Schmidt isn't the Ashton I know from Dude Where's My Car the back seat of the Punk'd van. Gone is the too-cool-for-school attitude, replaced with a manchild version of Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Odd to say, but the show is evolving with Walden, putting Alan in the driver's seat while Ashton acts like a spaced out loon. After startling Alan, forcing him to comically spill Charlie's ashes across the house, Walden quietly sits down next to Jon Cryer's bumbling bachelor to comfort him with the above quote. If there wasn't a laugh track, Ashton's portrayal of Walden might be slightly more uncomfortable. Kind of like the real life Charlie Sheen, actually.
3. "You Bought a Zune?"
Points: 8
I'm always down for a good Zune joke, especially when it follows Jon Cryer saying the word "penis."
Ashton doesn't have much screentime in this episode (his first appearance is preceded by Charlie's funeral), but he still spins his shoehorned exposition with unexpected comic grace. It's apparent that Walden is modeled after every famous, introverted Silicon Valley-type—including an irrational snappiness. When the subject of the web master's $1.3 billion fortune comes up in conversation (over a few appletinis), Walden takes a jab at Alan for owning a Zune. Completely random, but it does liven the character up a bit, which means we probably won't be seeing mopey, disaffected Ashton for too long this season.
4. Wooing Women with Emotional Damage
Points: 5
Later in the lengthy bar scene, Alan and Walden cross paths with two, busty bar patrons (clearly out of Alan's range—Charlie's spirit obviously lives on). You might expect Ashton to lay it on thick here...but you'd only be half right. Somewhat in character, Walden breaks down in front of the women, admitting he's still in love with his wife Bridget. Apparently that's attractive, as the two women become enamored with him. It appeared Ashton was trying hard not to crack up mid-scene, but it didn't stop the moment from working. Really, Ashton Kutcher acting like a sad puppy is the whole reason you hire Ashton Kutcher in the first place. Why do you think he grew the beard?
5. Nude Descending a Staircase
Points: 3
In the span of one episode, we're treated to two Ashton Kutcher full-frontal shots. By the last scene, when the gangly, long-haired dude moseys down to the kitchen in his birthday suit (much to Berta's delight), we've seen enough of Kutcher's blurred-out, bare body. While Walden may turn out to be a funny, authentic stretch for the actor, it's bit like this that feel like the easy route. Walking around naked and looking adorable for laughs? That's the Ashton Kutcher I already know. Thankfully, there are signs that, down the line, we may get more of the one hinted at at the beginning of the episode.
Total Points: 29 - Three Charlie Sheen Heads!
A solid start for the Two and a Half Men reboot. It's definitely the humor we're already familiar with (two fart jokes, one self-pleasure joke and two threesome references), but Ashton adds enough of a twist to make it feel fresh.
Oh, did I forget to mention the .5 man Jake? He disappeared for this episode. Make room for Ashton—he's back!

So apparently, Jay Baruchel likes to write. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor -- who's probably best known as that dude having panic attacks in Knocked Up -- just finished filming the upcoming comedy he co-wrote called Goon and has already signed on for two more projects: an adaptation of Kickstart Comics' Random Acts of Violence and Summit Entertainment's Exorcism Diaries. He'll work with his writing partner Jesse Chabot on both.
The first, Random Acts of Violence, tells the story of two comic book creators who develop a character named Slasherman to unexpected success, but that success spins out of control when their creation takes on a life of its own. Meanwhile, the other couldn't be more of an opposite: Exorcism Diaries centers on a reporter investigating an exorcism but quickly finds herself in the middle of the story (strangely sounding similar to The Exorcism of Emily Rose).
Honestly, both of these films sound like tired rehashes of past projects in their respective genres, but I have confidence in Baruchel. He's a funny guy and although we haven't heard what his writing is like on the screen yet, I'm fairly certain he knows what he's doing. Take a look at all the successful productions he's been involved in: How to Train Your Dragon, Million Dollar Baby, Tropic Thunder, Almost Famous and plenty more. So, you know, that doesn't really happen without people recognizing your talent.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Aren’t we secretly hoping Steve Carell doesn’t make a hit comedy film EVERY time so he’ll stay on The Office and won’t be lured away by movie fame? Well Office lovers (like me) take comfort in knowing Evan Almighty is the first big-screen effort from Carell that misses the mark. He reprises his Bruce Almighty role as Evan Baxter less a blowhard this time around but still just as vain. Having been elected a congressman the former newscaster moves his family from Buffalo to Washington D.C.—and his mantra is to “change the world.” Of course he doesn’t mean this literally but God (Morgan Freeman) sort of takes him up on the offer commanding him to build an ark. The why is vague but suffice to say the request the ensuing construction constraints the growing facial hair and the countless animal species who show up on his doorstep two by two all irrevocably change Evan’s life. Evan Almighty might be too silly but Stevie boy still provides plenty of well-earned slapsticky laughs. In fact he gets his ass kicked in more hilarious ways than one whether it’s smashing his thumbs with rudimentary ark tools or having a myriad of birds flock into his office and nest on his head (there must have been poop all OVER that set). Carell really does have such a likable personality and can play this guy in his sleep but he should consider doing something more akin to what he showed in Little Miss Sunshine next (or just stick with The Office). As the Almighty One Freeman pretty much does the same thing he did in Bruce Almighty—but why should he change? He’s God for heaven’s sakes. All the rest of Evan’s players support nicely. Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham as the befuddled wife is a perfect complement to Carell’s wacky Evan while Wanda Sykes shows up with endless wisecracks as Evan’s executive assistant. John Goodman plays the film’s heavy as a corrupt congressman. But honestly the animals almost upstage them all as they are wont to do. Watching baboons taking a break from building the ark to down some lemonade with Evan is pretty darn funny. Director Tom Shadyac who might just have his own personal relationship with God at this point (or least has a very deep appreciation for animal trainers) has thrown away whatever quirkiness and irreverent fun he provided in Bruce Almighty and replaced it with a more glossy family-oriented and er preachy sensibility in this follow-up. The build up to—and the building of—the ark and its purpose keeps the laughs albeit chaste constant. But this isn’t a true wrath-of-God scenario since Morgan Freeman isn’t a Deity who is very vengeful; He’s more about teaching important lessons about acts of random kindness (A-R-K get it?) as well as environmental issues. Blah blah blah. In other words Evan Almighty’s supposed apocalyptic payoff lacks a certain oomph since a PG comedy can’t very well drown the whole world in one fell swoop. Oh well. It’s a poorer film for it.

Dave Chappelle is a Hollywood anomaly. Not only because the comedian felt his soul was worth more than $50 million (the reported amount he walked away from when he left his Chappelle's Show) but also because he lives worlds apart from the place--literally and figuratively. In Block Party not a moment is spent trying to go deep inside the man behind the comedy yet that much is ascertainable. The documentary tells instead of his September 2004 mission to organize a rap/R&amp;B block party/concert in Brooklyn and hand out the event’s "golden tickets" at random to people in his Dayton Ohio community. It cuts back and forth between concert footage with his standup and the often-funny events that precipitated it. Those hoping for some sort of mea culpa will be disappointed (and should be ashamed); rather it's Chappelle's show seemingly the way he wanted Chappelle's Show. While Block Party obviously contains no acting there is a bevy of performers. The catalyst of course is Chappelle and as he did so well on his show he turns mundane observations into knee-slapping hilarity—thanks in no small part to his infectious laugh that follows everything he says. He also plays the part of hip-hop goodwill ambassador both reuniting groups and diversifying the lineup. His tastes and schoolboy enthusiasm might even be enough to endear the hip-hop naysayer. See he prefers artists who are progressive--artists who say something punctuated by actual live music! Acts like The Roots Kanye West Common Erykah Badu Jill Scott Mos Def Talib Kweli Dead Prez and a reunited Fugees--the film’s climax if you will--make theater dancing all but unavoidable and massacre stereotypes. And they're all Chappelle-approved for an extra layer of authenticity. Block Party perfectly pairs subject with director. Michel Gondry--best known as director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind--has a voyeur’s curiosity an artist’s eye for aesthetics and an ear for left-of-center music (he is also an acclaimed music-video director). He is not interested in somehow exposing Chappelle to his legions of fans and few detractors but he does touch on something that might surprise: Chappelle with his genuine benevolence seems just as content to get a smile as he does a laugh. Such is the case when he invites an entire college band to come play at his block party and pays their way; or when he pleases the crowd by assembling the aforementioned eclectic mix of musical acts groups which might’ve gone their careers without appearing together. But what Gondry captures best is this freak of nature who’s so maddeningly candid in front of a camera.

Welcome to Anatomy of a Murder 101. Detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) is one of the best crime scene specialists around because of her tenacity in looking for every possible detail. When the body of a young woman is found in the woods of the small California coastal town Cassie and her new partner Sam (Ben Chaplin) are on the case. Yet in what seems to be a random act of violence by a deranged "profile-type " the case gets solved quickly--almost too quickly. Cassie has a hunch the case goes much deeper than it looks and follows the trail of shrewdly concealed evidence which ultimately leads her to two brilliant teenage boys: golden boy Richard (Ryan Gosling) and quiet loner Justin (Michael Pitt). Against her superior's orders the detective continues the investigation and discovers that the two boys are connected to one another in a symbiotic--and pathological--way. The case also forces Cassie to deal with some dark demons of her own but she is determined to find out if Richard and Justin could be capable of such cold and calculated crimes.
After her last starring role in the surprising hit comedy Miss Congeniality (2000) Bullock has flip-flopped once again to explore her dark side. She's done it before (The Net 28 Days) and she is certainly an actress who hasn't necessarily pigeonholed herself in one particular genre. She has the ability to pull it off pretty well (no comment on Hope Floats) but ultimately comedy really suits her the best. In Numbers we feel her character's pain as she tries to be tough and unfeeling while all the while harboring a deep dark secret-- but we miss our lighthearted Sandra. The moments where Bullock actually comes alive is when she is seducing her partner Sam. Chaplin is delegated to be the "love interest " but he and Bullock ignite enough sparks to make it work. Of the two boys Gosling truly stands out--and with reason. This young actor who recently won the Independent Spirit Award for best actor for his searing performance in the indie The Believer plays the sociopath Richard with relish. He has a way of looking into the camera that simply keeps you riveted. The pouty-lipped Pitt on the other hand acts like a cold-hearted killer at first but manages to botch it up and get scared. He isn't nearly as chilling as his counterpart.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder (Reversal of Fortune) this psychological thriller does what it sets out to do--weave a tightly drawn story around a murder and the detectives who want to solve it. The film really almost reads as a lesson in committing the perfect crime explaining in detail the science behind it and how if done properly the killer (or killers in this case) need never get caught. The film also explores other elements such as how apathetic and affluent teenagers can get into trouble if left to their own devices. Numbers wants to be truly cold and creepy but unfortunately slips into the predictable which is a shame. The two actors playing Richard and Justin have the potential to give us a chilling account of amorality. Even watching how the perfect plan falls apart when the two boys begin to doubt each other isn't nearly as compelling as say A Simple Plan where deep paranoia and guilt seep in. This is a good story that missed some great opportunities.